Home: Where Reading and Writing Begin

Most parents don't see themselves as teachers, yet they are their children's literacy-learning partners each time they respond to a question, share some knowledge, help with a task. And this partnership does not end when the child goes to school but continues and expands, enhancing the child's literacy development. This book will help parents realize that reading has many purposes and extends beyond books and magazines to include "recipes, sewing patterns, road maps, tax forms, and directions for assembling tools or toys." It will also help parents understand why they should read books to their children, why they should listen to their children read, what makes a book hold a child's interest, and how to find time to read with their children. The book provides insights on how children learn from their own writing, why parents should include the child in the writing they do, what to look for in a child's beginning writing, and what creates a writing environment. Additionally, feedback from the first edition proves that Home: Where Reading and Writing Begin is of interest to not only parents but also educators who are concerned with helping parents value the home as a literacy-learning environment.